|
New and Old Members - Summer 2010
There have been several changes to the choir membership this year.
Fred Johnstone and Syd Fishwick have retired from the choir.
Bill Entwistle, Bill Halford, Jack Ezard and Jim Wilson have each
needed medical treatment recently but are now singing as heartily
as ever.
MEMBER'S PROFILES
(SEE
MEMBERS PHOTOS HERE )
Brian Gray
Brian Winter
Dave Birkett
Eric Leaver Schofield 1st Tenor
I was born in Royton, Lancashire, in the heart of the cotton spinning
industry in which my father worked as a company secretary and mother
"kept house". Primary school passed uneventfully, except
that I contracted every childhood disease invented. The local grammar
school beckoned and it was a disciplined learning period for five
years. I worked hard, passed exams but it was never easy (cricket,
football and athletics were easier).
It was wartime and study was often interrupted by air raids –
homework was sometimes completed in the shelters. Social life was
cricket, cinema and church, where I was an innocent boy treble!
Further education was limited, and when I noted on the notice board
"Clerk required - Midland Bank" I applied at once, jobs
were scarce.
In 1946 National Service took me to Northern Ireland, Portsmouth
and Sherwood Forest to an ammunition depot - which I promptly blew
up! It was then that a troopship took me to Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt,
and the largest ordnance depot in the world. We worked at the base,
it was hot but the memories are mainly of protecting it against
the local Arabs, - all having university degrees in thieving! The
only medal I received was for cricket in the Canal Zone –
a winner's medal.
1949 came at last, and it was back to the UK and a new career with
a smaller bank : the Yorkshire Penny Bank. Professional exams were
completed, prizes gained and a career lasting 37 years took off.
"The Main Event" took place at this time when I married
my wife. The days that followed were golden days as we moved to
Leeds and then Bradford before I was appointed manager of Bingley.
Just a few words encompassing the birth of three children.
1970 saw me appointed manager at Kendal, and involvement in the
Community County Treasurers for the Young Farmers Movement, later
President of the town's Chamber of Trade, total involvement with
the Torchlight Procession and a return to cricket with Sedgwick.
Questions concerning health were paramount in 1980, and sporting
activities came to a full stop. By chance singing came again to
the front and I have been an active member of KSMVC ever since.
back to list of profiles
Brian Gray – 2nd Tenor
Born and raised in Morecambe/Heysham border country, my singing
‘career’ started at the age of seven and a half when
I was ‘volunteered’ for the Church Choir at St John’s
Sandylands. Dad was in the choir and Granddad had been also until
his appointment as verger. As my voice lowered I continued to sing,
progressing through contralto to tenor! This period of my life,
singing with school and youth choirs as well as the Church choir
was the grounding for many years of pleasure in singing in mixed-voice
choirs, which has remained my favourite. (It wasn’t until
my move back North that I finally joined the K Shoes Male Voice
Choir and discovered another side to singing).
Following studies at Storey Institute, Lancaster, and Harris Institute,
Preston, I proceeded to Manchester University Medical School where
I studied Pharmacy. I was married in Morecambe in December 1956
and then worked in hospitals in Chorley, Manchester and Salford
and did not have a lot of opportunity to keep up my singing. This
period of my life was involved with Scouting and when we moved to
Northenden, Manchester I became a scout Leader. This and starting
a family (our two children were both born in Manchester) occupied
all my spare time
In 1964 we moved to deepest Wiltshire and spent 24 happy years in
Westbury, close to the Somerset border. During this time we both
sang with the Westbury Choral Society, where I had two spells as
Chairman, and we also later joined and sang with the Silver Ring
Choir of Bath, visiting choirs at home and abroad over the ten years
of our membership. We sang in Germany, Holland, Belgium, Sweden,
Denmark and Finland (as well as Wales, Huddersfield and Newcastle),
and were required to learn songs in the languages of the countries
we visited.
In Westbury we established a pharmacy in a new shopping centre,
and I served on local and County Councils over a period of 22 years.
In 1988 we sold up and moved back North to live in Levens, where
I was immediately befriended by Jack Wilkinson, who brought me to
K Shoes Male Voice Choir and the Kendal Choral Society. My working
life ended with an eight year stint as proprietor of the Pharmacy
in Flookburgh, and now I am far too busy to work!
back to list of profiles
Brian Winter – 1st Tenor
I was born before World War 2 in a mining village just outside Durham
City, where I lived until I was married. Most of our married life
was spent in Stockton-on-Tees, where my wife was a committee member
of the NSPCC. Because of this I became a member of Stockton-on-Tees
Male Voice Choir. The NSPCC had arranged a concert with this choir
which I attended, and thoroughly enjoyed. One of the members went
to the same school as I attended and said to me, “If you enjoyed
our concert half as much as we enjoy our rehearsals, you should
join us!” Without any singing experience at all I went along
to see if he was right. He was, and I had about nine years with
the choir and their lady conductor until I retired in 1998 and came
to live in Grange-over-Sands.
Because of the pleasure gained with the choir, I felt I should join
a choir here and attended various concerts given by different choirs,
before hearing of the K Shoes Male Voice Choir Open Rehearsal in
1999. They sang my type of music and seemed to be a happy crowd.
At that time they also had a lady conductor who is now our President.
The big difference was they sang without music, which meant my first
year was quite a challenge in learning all the words. However I
survived and continue to enjoy the many laughs at rehearsals, under
our conductor Martin who took over in 2001
back to list of profiles
David Birkett – 1st Bass. Kendal Town Mayor.
I came into the world during the Second World War at the Old County
Hospital in the Lake District. My Mother was of Canadian origins
and my Dad was from well-known Kendal family. The first six months
of my life were in the Roebuck Hotel (Grandfather was the Licensee).
With my two elder brothers and parents we lived on the Kirkbarrow
Estate, and during the war accommodated three family evacuees from
Darlington. With eight people living in a relatively small house,
life was very cosy.
We began primary education at the now defunct Central School and
later moved to Castle Street School. I first met Madge Hine (creator
and conductor of the highly successful ‘Greenside Mixed Voice
Choir’) who recognised my musical bent at 10 years old, and
I sang for her in the Greenside Choir as boy soloist in the ‘Messiah’
at the Parish Church. Later, at 17 years of age, I joined her Choir
until its demise in 1968/9. On leaving school, I became an apprentice
compositor/machine minder at K Shoemakers’ Printing department,
and attended courses on the subject in Preston.
I have walked the Cumbrian Hills since the age of 13 and at 15 joined
the Kendal Mountain Rescue Team, retiring after 30 years. At 22
years, I changed direction, leaving K Shoemakers Ltd, to become
a mountain guide in the County and later in Switzerland and Austria.
This lasted for two years, returning to take up a position as a
compositor with the Westmorland Gazette, staying 18 months until
I saw two jobs advertised – one for the Austrian Alpine Club,
the other a National Park Warden’s post. I was successful
with both applications and opted to work for the Lake District National
Park. My duties, over the years, took me all over the National Park,
gaining promotion to Senior Ranger. After 31 years service I retired
in 1999.
I was married in 1972 and moved to Askham, near Penrith, where our
three children were born – Susan, Catherine and Andrew. I
joined Ron Emmerson’s Mixed Voice Choir until returning to
Kendal in 1983 when (hurrah!) I joined the K Shoes Male Voice Choir.
In 1978 I was invited to join the Executive of the Friends of the
Lake District, currently holding the office of Vice Chairman. Four
years ago I joined the Kendal Town Council, (Strickland Ward) was
elected to be Deputy Major and later held the office of Kendal Town
mayor. My main interests are walking, rock climbing, the Male Voice
Choir and family.
back to list of profiles
|
SHOES MALE VOICE CHOIR
KENDAL